Luck of The Draw
by Yung Warrior
Summary: The lottery in the Battle City Finals produces different numbers in the first round, leading to a different set of matches in the tournament! Will Yugi and his friends still be able to save the world?
1. NO SLEEP 'TILL BROOKLYN

Chance is a funny thing; in many instances, the outcome of an individual's entire life can be dependent on the whims of Lady Luck. Preparation, strategy, and even guts are a large factor as well, and determination can often overcome seemingly impossible odds.

It was this topic that Yugi Moto's mind had chosen to focus on at this particular moment as he waited for the finals of the Battle City Duel Monsters tournament to begin. He and his comrades had worked long and hard to make the top 8 finalists, and Yugi knew that his destiny was inexorably tied to the outcome of the duels ahead.

Well, not _his_ mind, per se. Yugi was a special case; having a 3000-year old mystical puzzle around one's neck tends to make one a certain exception to most rules.

In Yugi's Millenium Puzzle was a split identity, a man who looked just like Yugi, but had no name. The man only knew that his past had once lain in the deserts of Ancient Egypt, and that he was once a Pharaoh of that land.

This Pharaoh was an expert at all sorts of games, the Duel Monsters card game being his most particularly specialized skill. When Yugi and his "Dark" self worked together, they were nearly unstoppable in the game.

Thus, they entered the Battle City tournament, hoping to find some clue to the Pharaoh's past.

Only a few minutes remained until the finals were set to begin on top of the large blimp they were on. In the meantime, the finalists were enjoying a smattering of snacks and drinks supplied by the blimp's employees. The blimp was owned by Seto Kaiba, Yugi's rival who was currently standing in the corner of the room with his arms crossed.

Kaiba was a tall man with a brown bowlcut and piercing, cold blue eyes. He wore a flashy white coat with black pants, accented by the vicious expression on his sharp, angular features.

Kaiba, despite being in his late teens, was already president of the largest gaming corporation in the world, Kaiba Corp, and he was the one who had set up the tournament in the first place. Yugi hypothesized that Kaiba created the tourney solely for the purpose of collecting the three Egyptian God cards, the three most powerful monsters in the game.

Kaiba owned one of them, Obelisk the Tormentor, while Yugi owned another, Slifer the Sky Dragon. When his thoughts turned to the God cards, Yugi's purple-eyed gaze swept to the other side of the room, where Marik was standing.

Marik was far more taciturn than he expected, and a lot taller as well. The man's dark skin and hieroglyph tattoos were obscured by a deep purple robe. Marik held sinister intentions towards Yugi in particular; it seemed as though he had some sort of grudge against the King of Games.

"Hey, what's up Yugi? You look upset about somethin'." A rough Brooklyn accent called out. Yugi turned to look upon his best friend Joey Wheeler, whose hazel eyes were looking at him with a relaxed dullness.

Yugi and Joey had been friends for a long time, but it was not always that way. Once upon a time, Joey had taken the role of Yugi's personal bully, along with another of their peers named Tristan Taylor. It was only after Yugi completed the Millenium Puzzle and saved Joey and Tristan from another bully that the trio became friends.

Joey was not dealt a particularly lucky hand in life, which was ironic because his luck in the game of Duel Monsters was extraordinary. Joey's mother had died in childbirth while delivering his younger sister, Serenity, and his father was an abusive lush. Joey was able to bet by on winnings from various Duel Monsters tournaments, but only just enough.

"I'm fine, Joey. Just concentrating on my strategy." Yugi responded. "Ah, right. I don't know what you have to be worried about, though. You'll sweep anyone here, easy. Except me, of course!" Joey grinned.

"Oh, please!" A sultry voice scoffed. Yugi and Joey cocked their heads to drink in the appearance of the curvaceous and buxom Mai Valentine, a duelist whose flirty exterior hid a steely resolve on the field of battle.

"I hope you boys haven't forgotten about me! I intend to emerge from this tournament with nothing less than first place!" She declared ostentatiously.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck in the finals, Mai." Yugi replied courteously.

Who needs luck, other than Joey?" Mai jibed. Yugi shook his head; Joey and Mai's vitriolic friendship always confused him. Despite being a strategic genius, Yugi could not always claim such competency with the female mind.

"Hey, you just watch!" Joey said hotly. As they were talking, Roland, Kaiba's personal butler and assistant, had approached the microphone.

"The contestants in the first quarterfinal match will be determined in five minutes!" He announced bombastically.

"Ooh, I better go get some more food while I can, then!" Joey said, licking his lips as he made his way over to the buffet table. After loading a paper plate full of delicious foreign cheeses, he turned around only to bump into Ryo Bakura.

Bakura epitomizes that one creepy guy that everyone knows. He was albino, with long snow-white hair and porcelain skin. His dark hazel irises were innocent and friendly…too much so, in fact. He was always formally polite, and perpetually carried a small smile on his face. Combine this with the fact that he somehow made it into the Battle City finals despite being hospitalized no more than twelve hours earlier and he was a very unsettling sort indeed.

"Um…my bad, Bakura." Joey said hurriedly, trying to scamper away from the creepy kid as soon as humanly possible.

"Oh, that's _quite_ alright. Everyone seems on edge." Bakura whispered sinuously. "Uh, yeah, must be pre-game jitters." Joey replied slowly. "By the way, how did you manage to get into the finals?"

"Well, I won all six locator cards at once!" Bakura replied as though it were obvious. Locator cards were the six pieces of the holographic map that led to the location of the finals. There were only 48 locator cards produced, so only eight duelists from the entire city of Domino could make it into the finals.

"I won them after damning Bonz to eternal suffering- I mean beating Bonz in a duel!" Bakura hastily corrected.

"Right, see ya later!" Joey practically ran away, sweating buckets.

He walked up to Tristan, Serenity, and Tea, who were each nibbling on various foods as well. "Are you OK? You look like you just saw a ghost." Tea asked with concern.

"Nah, must be the shrimp. I think it's been sitting out too long." Joey said far too quickly.

"The selection for the first round of the tournament shall begin now!" Roland called as the lights dimmed. Yugi looked around the room. Only seven finalists were present that he knew of: himself, Joey, Mai, Kaiba, Bakura, Marik, and a strange young man named Namu who had shown up seemingly out of nowhere.

 _"I wonder who the eighth duelist is?"_ Yugi thought as a strange machine ascended out of a raised dais near the center of the banquet hall.

"To guarantee fairness, each pair of duelists will be chosen to fight at complete random. Each finalist has been assigned a number, one through eight. The second pair of numbers will only be chosen after the first duel. This way, you won't have any idea of who you are facing until right before you duel." Roland explained.

"Each numbered ball is of equal size and weight, and the computer algorithim is designed to be one hundred percent random. Now then, without further adieu, the fighters for the first round will be selected!"

The yellow spheres in the glass started spinning and rotating. Yugi was watching their movements intently. Somehow he figured that he would be dueling in the first round. The room was still with tension.

Finally, a ball fell into the mouth of a toy Blue-Eyes White Dragon and rolled to the entry slot. "Number two, Joey Wheeler!" Roland announced.

"Alright! Who wants to go up against the Godfather of Games!" Joey said, flexing his bicep. Yugi facepalmed at Joey's self-given moniker.

"You're in quite a hurry to lose, Wheeler." Kaiba sniped, never giving up an opportunity to belittle his rival duelist. "Watch it, rich boy!" Joey snarled back.

"Stand by while the next duelist is chosen. After the next fighter is selected, we will proceed immediately to the Stratos dueling arena. And Mr. Wheeler's opponent is…number four, Mai Valentine!" Roland said loudly.

Joey and Mai smirked at each other, each ready to test the other's skill. Inwardly, Joey breathed a sign of relief. He had already beaten Mai before, and he was confident that he could do it again. At the very least, fighting her was a better prospect than going against some of the other monsters that were on the blimp.

"You two will take the west elevator with me, while the spectators may proceed to the viewing area via the central elevator." Roland said finally.

Joey and Mai proceeded to the west elevator, leering companionably at each other. "This time, it's gonna be different, Wheeler." She said idly. "We'll see." He replied.

A short elevator ride later, and everyone was at the top of the blimp. A large mechanical platform had unfolded where the fighters would stand, while the spectators would stand below to watch.

Joey and Mai made their way to the platform, their duel disks at the ready. Yugi and his friends stood one side of the arena, while Kaiba and his younger brother Mokuba stood standoffishly on the opposite side.

"Man, it's freezing up here!" Tea whined, crossing her arms. "That is because Kaibacraft 3 here is flying at 4000 feet above sea level. The cutting winds and freezing temperatures are meant to test your endurance and focus. If you can't take it, then you don't belong here." Kaiba said coldly. It was clear from his tone and posture that he considered this match to be a complete waste of his time.

Bakura and Namu stood too close together for Yugi's liking. Both of them were highly suspicious to him, and he vowed to keep a vigilant eye on each of them. For now though, he tried to enjoy the match, as it was most likely to be the most friendly match in the entirety of the finals.

"I hope you're not too cold, Joey." Mai snarked. Despite her skimpy clothing, she did not seem affected by the cold at all. "No way! I'm good!" Joey's tough façade was broken rather egregiously by the fact that his cards were beginning to blow away in the wind.

"Oh no!" Joey leapt after his cards, catching one of them in his mouth. Everyone else snickered at this tomfoolery, even Kaiba.

"Alright, now I'm ready to start!" Joey declared. "In that case, why don't you go first?" Mai smiled demurely.

Joey nodded before drawing his first card. "Alright, here I go! I summon **Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600)** in attack mode!" A warrior clad in pitch-black armor took the field, taking a determined pose.

"Then, I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" Joey said, setting two brown-backed cards on the field.

"Not a bad move to start out with." Duke Devlin commented. "Let's see how Mai counters." Bakura commented sinisterly.

The blonde vixen drew, and was seemingly happy with what she pulled. "I summon **Amazoness Swords Woman (1500/1600)** in attack mode!" She called. A tan, long-haired female took the field, swinging her enormous broadsword about.

 _"I'll have to be careful. That monster can deal whatever damage I put out back at it."_ Joey strategized, looking at his hand.

"Then, I set two cards as well. Your move, Brooklyn boy." She mocked. Joey frowned as he drew.

"I activate the trap **Kunai With Chain**! Now, I can switch your Swordswoman to defense mode!" A silver cord wrapped around the amazoness, forcing her into a kneeling position.

"Now, my Gearfried can attack her!" "I think not, Joey! I activate **Dimensional Prison**!" Mai shouted.

Gearfried stubbornly rushed forward into a purple spatial vortex, becoming spaghettified within seconds.

"Yep, that'll getcha." Yugi shook his head. _"Oh, for Ra's sake, this is the most boring match ever! They're not even summoning an Egyptian God!"_ Marik (or Namu, as he told Yugi's friends) thought with no small amount of frustration.

 _"I agree, these card games are really boring without the possibility of imminent death."_ Bakura concurred telepathically.

"Shoot! Fine, I summon **Alligator's Sword (1500/1200)** in attack mode to end my turn." Joey said bitterly before an anthropomorphic green gator with a sword materialized on his field.

"And this is where the emasculating begins. I switch Amazoness Swords Woman to attack mode before summoning **Amazoness Paladin (1800/1700)**!" Mai said. Another toned and fit warrior woman appeared on her field, holding a thin rapier as its weapons.

"Joey's facing down three amazons! Kinda like how I was last night!" Duke said, raucously laughing. No one else even chuckled. "Oh come on guys, that was funny." Duke said weakly. "There's a 14-year old girl here, dude." Tristan said, covering Serenity's virgin ears.

"Now that my paladin is on the field, all of my amazons gain 100 attack and defense points! **(Paladin 1900/1800 Swords Woman 1600/1700)**! Now attack him, my ladies!" Mai shouted, pointed a painted nail towards Joey's meager field.

The paladin shred Alligator's Sword to thinly sliced meat strips, while Joey took damage. **(Joey 3600/Mai 4000)**

"Now my Swords Woman attacks!" Mai said with glee. The Amazoness gladly sliced Joey laterally across the chest. **(Joey 2100/Mai 4000)**

"Man, I haven't seen Joey get whooped this bad since the last time he dueled." Tristan snarked.

"Wow, do you guys usually give him this much crap? He did make it to the finals, he must be at least a decent duelist." Marik asked with fake gentleness. Inwardly, he completely agreed with Tristan.

"Yeah, he's OK sometimes. He's just been the group's whipping boy for so long that it becomes a force of habit to insult him. Maybe he'd have better luck if Bakura hung around us more often." Yugi joked.

 _"I am going to kill you, you with your ridiculous multicolored hair_ -" Bakura thought murderously.

"Man, you're as strong as ever, Mai!" Joey complimented. "Such a gentlemen. Joey, you'll need to step it up if the duel is going to last another turn!" Mai said viciously, striking a cheesecake pose.

"I won't disappoint you!" Joey said, drawing confidently. "Nice! I summon **Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200)** in attack mode!" A chibi marshmallow cartoon soldier appeared, waving around his pitiful little sword in front of the Amazons with audacity.

Everyone burst into derisive laughter, with the exception of Bakura. "Oh come on, Wheeler, how do you still have that garbage in your deck? What's the matter, can't afford any decent cards!?" Kaiba mocked.

"Shut up, moneybags! In a moment, I'm about to make my swordsman here just as strong as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Joey proclaimed gregariously.

"Oh, really? And through what magic do you intend to pull that one off?" Kaiba snorted, clearly in denial.

"Through the magic of **Graceful Dice**!" Joey shouted, slamming the card into the disk slot.

"Ah, so if he rolls a four or higher, then he can take down one of Mai's Amazons! His Landstar's attack will be multiplied by whatever number he rolls!" Yugi said, astounded at his friend's daring.

"Come on, Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!" Joey prayed to Slifer thast he would roll what he needed. A small peach-hued cherub appeared, throwing an enormous blue die onto the field. Mai and her Amazons looked rather bemused at the proceedings.

The die spun on its edge for a few seconds before settling on a six. "Booyah! Nothing but skill, baby! Now my Swordsman's attack is multiplied by six, raising it to 3000!"

The cute warrior now seemed much more threatening to Mai than it did a moment earlier.

"Now, attack her Paladin!" The Swordsman of Landstar leapt into the air before bringing his mighty blade down upon the paladin, bisecting her cleanly. **(Joey 2100/Mai 2800)**

"Now I set a face-down, and that's it!" Joey smirked, as Lady Luck was forever in his corner.

Mai snarled before ripping a card off the top of her deck. "I activate **Card of Sanctity** , allowing us each to draw until we have six in our hands." They each drew cards, considering the results of their pulls.

Mai chuckled darkly. "I feel bad for you, Wheeler. You've just mad enemies of the biggest _bitches_ in Battle City."

Joey gulped audibly.

"I summon **Cyber Harpie Lady (1800/1300)** in attack mode." A beautiful, yet vicious bird-lady descended seemingly from the heavens themselves before baring herself in front of the openly terrified Joey. She wore purple bondage armor with spiked nipples and sharp edges.

And all Joey had to defend himself with was Swordsman of Landstar.

" **Elegant Egotist**." Mai said coldly before three other Harpie Ladies appeared from behind the original Cyber Harpie Lady, as if they were mirrored clones **(1950/2150).**

"Oh, that's no good." Joey said, gritting his teeth. "Now then, I think it's time to end this. Unfortunately, you and your Swordsman are going to be little more than snacks for my ladies. Now, I attack Landstar with Cyber Harpie Lady!" Mai called as her Harpie ascended skyward.

"It's now or never! I activate my **Fairy Box** trap!" Joey said frantically. Suddenly, a large purple Whack-A-Mole style cube popped up on field. The Swordsman of Landstar jumped into the gambling machine all-too-readily.

"Now, whether your attack goes through is all up to a coin toss! If you win, then you destroy my last line of defense. If I call the coin right though, then your monster's attack points become 0! So whaddya say?" Joey declared brazenly.

A holographic coin appeared at the epicenter of the battlefield. "Tails never fails. An old trick I learned back in the Vegas days." Said Mai.

"In that case, I got Heads!" Joey said back, completely and utterly confident.

"The coin will flip now!" Roland said, and the hologram flipped into the air straightly with no regard for gravity or wind. On the Heads side of the coin was a Kuribon engraving, while the Eye of Wdjat was on the tails side.

"As usual, Wheeler has to rely on luck to win. How pathetic." Kaiba said acrimoniously. "You just wait, Kaiba. Joey may surprise you yet." Yugi muttered quietly.

The coin fell slowly, Joey and Mai watching with bated breath. At last, the coin fell with the Kuriboh face-up. "Damn!" Mai cursed. "Gotcha! Now, Swordsman of Landstar, destroy that bird!" Joey punched the air as the cartoony Swordsman jumped, spinning like a buzzsaw as he destroyed Mai's monster. **(Joey 2100/Mai 2300)**

"You won't get lucky again! Amazoness Swords Woman, press the attack!" Mai roared.

"She should just quit while she's ahead!" Tristan shrugged. "Actually, Mai will win either way here. Swords Woman's effect guarantees that Joey will take some damage from this attack." Yugi explained coolly.

"Still, he'll want to win the next coin toss just so that he can keep his Landstar on the field." Bakura commented in his best faux-innocent voice.

Yugi narrowed his amethyst eyes at Bakura. "Right." He said coldly.

The coin flipped yet again, with Joey calling tails this time. Amazingly, he won yet again. "Unbelieveable!" Mai said. "Still, you'll take all of the damage from this battle too, kid!"

Landstar emerged from the Whack-A-Mole machine again and clashed blades with the Amazon. After a brief exchange of sword strikes, Landstar at last landed a fatal slash to the warrior woman.

Joey smiled briefly, but the Amazoness, in her last action, threw her sword at the Brooklyn-based duelist. "Ouch!" He cried as the hologram passed through him. **(Joey 1600/Mai 2300)**

"Wow, Swordsman of Landstar is a badass!" Duke cheered. "Yeah, he's getting a lot of use out of it. Joey's the type of duelist that can take a mile if given an inch." Yugi said with admiration. "There's no way my big brother can lose! He's awesome!"

"Your luck won't last forever!" "Why don't you try it?"

"Fine! Harpie Lady Sisters, devour his pathetic little fairy now!" Mai screeched. Joey's inexplicable luck clearly had her at her wit's end. The trio of furies descended upon the fairy warrior, licking their lips in the process.

"C'mon, just one more!" Joey pleaded to Lady Luck for a successful third coin toss. The silver dollar flew into the air. "Tails!" Mai called.

The coin landed on tails, and Joey could do nothing but watch as his Swordsman was ripped apart by the Harpies. **(Joey 150/Mai 2300)**

"Things aren't looking good for our hero." Duke snarked. "Hmph. Once a failure, always a failure." Kaiba said bitterly.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn." Mai finished.

"Alright, we can do this." Joey said to himself as he drew. "Unfortunately, since I don't have 500 life points to pay so that I can keep it on the field, my Fairy Box is gone. Now, I activate this! **Monster Reborn**! Now, I can summon one monster from either of our graveyards! And I choose my boy Gearfried!" The black knight returned triumphantly.

"And what are you going to do with that?" Mai asked incredulously.

"First, I'll activate **Pot of Greed** , letting me draw two!" "Yeah, yeah, we all know what the card does." Mai snarked.

"Next, it's storytime!" Joey said cheekily. "What?" Nearly everyone said at the same time.

"That story being the legend of Gearfried, that is! You see, Gearfried was once a legendary warrior who was able to waste entire battlefields on his own. Fearful of his own might, he sealed himself away in a suit of restricting black armor. You should feel honored, Mai, because you're about to feel his unrestrained wrath right now! I activate **Release Restraint**!" Joey announced.

A bright white light seemed to emanate from Gearfried's steel chassis, an inner power awakening in him for the first time in so long. The armor burst, a cloud of dust covering the newly uncovered warrior.

When it cleared, a long-haired, tan man with tribal tunic and boots stood proudly, a stern expression on his face. "Meet **Gearfried the Swordsmaster** **(2600/1800)**!" Joey said with gumption.

The Harpie Lady Sisters quivered in fear. "I only have two cards left in my hand. But it'll be just enough to finish you off! I play **Scapegoat**! This lets me summon four sheep tokens, each with zero attack or defense." Joey grinned. Four adorable lambs popped up around Gearfried. The warrior sweatdropped at the cute sheep.

"What was the point of that? Those won't really help him, will they?" Serenity asked cutely. "Oh, I think they will, if the last card in Joey's hand is what I think it is." Yugi smiled knowingly.

"Now for my last card, I equip Gearfried with United We Stand! This increases his attack by 800 for each monster on my field, counting himself! Since my sheep tokens are on the field, this means that Gearfried gains 4000 attack points!" Gearfried glowed with a red aura, power rolling off him in hot waves. **(Gearfried 6600/1800)**

Mai chuckled. "Smart move, Wheeler."

"And that's not all! When Gearfried is given an equip spell, he can instantly destroy a monster! And your harpies look like prime targets!" Joey was giddy as Gearfried slowly drew a broadsword from a sheath on his back.

The warrior dropped into a fighting stance, and time stopped for a moment. In a flash of steel, Gearfried destroyed all three harpies in an instant, the sheep tokens watching on in horror.

"Now, I attack you directly with Gearfried!" Joey said triumphantly. "I won't go down without a fight! I activate **Mirror Wall**! This halves your Gearfried's attack points!" Mai declared as a crystalline wall of ice rose in Gearfried's path.

"Ok. Since he's at 3300, I still win anyways." Joey sweatdropped. "I know, but I just wanted to ruin your moment." Mai winked at him, even as her life points dropped to zero **. (Joey 150/Mai 0)**

"And with that, Joey Wheeler will advance to the semi-final round of the Battle City Tournament!" Roland announced. "Yeah, I did it!" Joey celebrated before walking over to Mai.

"Thanks for the match, Mai! You really had me on the ropes there." He said as they shook hands.

"You're good, Joey, and you've improved a lot. It was a fantastic duel." She said before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

He blushed furiously, dropping a few of his cards yet again. Everyone, with the obvious exceptions of Marik, Bakura, and Kaiba, laughed in a friendly way. Joey, after picking up his cards, looked at Yugi and Kaiba.

Yugi gave him a respectful thumbs-up, while Kaiba only sneered imperiously at him. _"You two just watch; I'm gonna rise even higher, and I'll give you both a duel you'll never forget!"_ He vowed mentally.

 **A/N**

 **Greetings, lovely readers, and thanks for reading the first chapter of Luck Of The Draw!**

 **I intend for this to be my next big project after Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon, and it's an idea I've had in my head for a very long time. Frankly, I'm surprised that no one's ever wrote an AU version of the Battle City Finals before (or if they have, I've never heard of it).**

 **I hope you guys liked the match between Joey and Mai here! Mai certainly got a better matchup here than she got in canon :) They were even all the way through, but Joey was able to pull it out with a pretty sick combo with United We Stand, Gearfried, and Scapegoat. I hope you guys don't mind that I used the dub names, they are simply what I am more familiar with.**

 **As for the cards, there will be no fan-made ones, although I will be using a few cards from the more modern era, such as Dimensional Prison. Don't worry, there won't be any Synchros, XYZ's or Pendulums. Anyways, please give me some feedback on the chapter if you are so inclined to, and tell me your predictions for the next match! It's gonna be a good one!**


	2. LIGHT UP THE SKY

A 20-minute intermission was called after the first match, allowing the finalists a bit of a breather. Soon enough though, everyone reconvened in the dining hall.

Strangely (or perhaps not-so-strangely) Joey and Mai were the last to arrive, both looking distinctly ruffled. "Hehe, sorry we're late! We were making out- I mean making up new strategies!" Joey stuttered.

"Of course, Joey." Yugi smirked. "Haha, looks like Joey beat you to the punch when it comes to Mai." Tristan said to Duke, who looked rather glum. "Oh well, can't win em all." The gambler shrugged.

Yugi smiled at his friend's raunchy antics before turning his attention back to the lottery machine. There were five other duelists left besides him: Kaiba, Marik, Bakura, Namu, and the mysterious eighth duelist. None (except perhaps Namu, whom Yugi knew nothing about) would be easy opponents, and Yugi knew that his A-game would need to be brought if he were to have any chance of proceeding further in the tournament.

Bakura, Odion, and Marik were nervously glancing at one another. It would be rather awkward if they were forced to face each other in the quarterfinal round.

Bakura would be fine with facing Marik, for then he would be able to get the Millenium Rod by force, without having to resort to the underhanded alliance the tombkeeper had roped him into.

"The lottery for the second round will now begin!" Roland called as the yellow spheres began spinning once more.

Everyone watched the machine intently, even the relieved Joey and Mai. Finally, the ball with the number one engraved in black lettering rolled out.

"Duelist number one, Seto Kaiba! You will be dueling in the second round!" Roland proclaimed with admiration.

Kaiba scanned the room with a predatory gaze. The young CEO was pent-up with wrathful energy, and he pitied the poor duelist who would soon be receiving its brunt.

Kaiba's azure eyes meet Yugi's violet ones almost immediately. The two rivals would like nothing better than to meet each other in the tournament, albeit for very different reasons.

Yugi wanted to relieve Kaiba of his ownership of Obelisk The Tormentor. The Pharaoh needed all three Egyptian God cards if he was to regain his memory, which meant that whether he would be dueling Kaiba in the tournament, or outside of it, he required Obelisk.

Kaiba, on the other hand, only desired to reclaim his spot as the greatest duelist in the world, a title now held by Yugi. Nearly every night, Kaiba obsessed over paying back his rival for the humiliation he had dealt him so long ago. Before this tournament would be over, Kaiba would own all three God cards. _"Say Yugi's name, Roland!"_ he thought furiously.

"Number six, Ryo Bakura!" Roland called out.

Kaiba groaned in disappointment.

"Oh my, what a surprise! I never thought I would be dueling Kaiba!" Bakura said with an obviously affected chuckle.

"Ugh, just follow me to the arena." Kaiba snarled. He exchanged a significant look with Yugi before entering the central elevator with his arms crossed.

Marik communicated telepathically with Bakura all the while. " _What a shame; I had hoped to fight the Pharoah."_ The white-haired rogue thought.

 _"It is well. Need I remind you that Kaiba has an Egyptian God as well? This way, you can deliver Obelisk to me, and I'll win Slifer from the Pharaoh by myself later."_ Marik boasted.

 _"Oh, please. If you could've defeated the Pharaoh on your own, you would've done so by now!"_ Bakura growled.

 _"Do not be cheeky. I have not yet shown the full extent of my abilities. Besides, if I don't face the Pharaoh in the first round, then my servant Odion will. He has incredible power, and I trust he will get the job done."_ Marik replied hammily.

 _"It will be as you command, master."_ Odion said shortly.

Bakura glared at them both before entering the elevator as well. The ensuing ride to the top of the zeppelin was awkwardly silent. "So, I don't believe we've ever met before. What do you like to do for fun in your spare time, Seto Kaiba?" Bakura asked, chuckling.

"I enjoy striking down my enemies." Kaiba replied shortly.

"Same here! Perhaps after this tourney has finished, we can go and crush souls together?" Bakura replied mockingly.

"I don't think so." Kaiba sneered as the elevator finally opened. The CEO's white coattails flapped dramatically in the cold wind as he made his way to his side of the dueling platform. Yugi and his friends made it to the top first, and Kaiba took care to glower at each of them individually while he made his way to the arena.

Suddenly, Kaiba felt a hand on his shoulder. "Kaiba, a word." Yugi said gruffly. It was not a request.

"What do you want?" Kaiba replied irritably.

"Do not look past this match. I sense a great evil within Bakura. You would do well not to underestimate him." Yugi advised seriously.

"You are warning a dragon about facing an ant." Kaiba's lip curled upwards unpleasantly.

"An arrogant fool through and through." Yugi shook his head.

"On the contrary, I am an arrogant genius. Now then, you should sit back and watch while you still can, Yugi. Not many get to witness the full force of an Egyptian God firsthand. Grab some popcorn before the match begins." Kaiba then patted Yugi's spiky hair with a mockingly genial expression.

Yugi walked back to the spectator area, extremely frustrated.

Bakura's ivory hair flowed in the wind, obscuring his eyes. His sky-blue shirt flapped, the fabric making the only noise in the arena.

"Are you prepared to lose it all?" Bakura smirked, the front bangs of his fluffy hair blowing upwards.

"The only thing I'm losing is my patience. Now hurry up and shuffle your pathetic cards." Kaiba insulted, cutting his own deck.

"Oh come now, Kaiba, this is a game! You should try to have _fun_!" Bakura was now openly trolling, and Kaiba's frown deepened.

"What's up with Bakura? He seems to be acting weird." Namu said in his most carefully neutral voice.

"It's complicated. You see that gold pendant around Bakura's neck? That's the Millenium Ring, and within it is an evil spirit that takes over his body. The real Bakura's our friend, but the spirit wants Yugi's Millenium Puzzle, and will stoop to any means to get it. He's a real jackass!" Joey explained quickly.

"Wait a sec, I thought I threw that ring away at Duelist Kingdom! How in the name of continuity did he get it back?" Tristan sharply questioned. "That ring's like a clingy ex-girlfriend!"

"Maybe that's just it; the ring is somehow able to magically return to Bakura." Yugi theorized. "Kaiba may have a more difficult fight ahead than he realizes!"

"Let the second match of the Battle City finals begin!" Roland said, his enthusiasm unaffected.

"I shall start. Prepare to face defeat! I summon **The Portrait's Secret (1200/1500)** in defense mode." Bakura smirked as he summoned the possessed picture frame to the field. "I end my turn."

"A weak normal monster with no face-downs? That won't get him far against Richie Rich over there." Joey joked as he tried to wipe a hickey off of his neck.

Kaiba snapped his first draw, smirking as he did so. "Take this! The mighty **Vorse Raider (1900/1200)** in attack mode!" A grotesque armored orc took the field, its hot, haggard breath misting the air. It held a freshly sharpened axe in its brutish hands.

Kaiba simply thrust his hand forward, his man-beast gladly shredding Bakura's painting. "I shall set two cards face-down to end my turn. For your sake, I hope you have an ace up your sleeve."

"Oh, something like that." Bakura smiled, drawing his next card. "I set a monster in face-down defense position. From there, I end."

"Aren't you even going to try to muster some kind of offense? Oh well, easier for me, I guess. I summon Blade Knight **(1600/1000)** in attack position!" Kaiba summoned a shining silver-clad knight to the field, it's sword and shield glinting in the moonlight.

"Now, both my monsters will attack!" Kaiba announced dramatically as both of his creatures rushed forth with their blades drawn. Vorse Raider attacked Bakura's face-down monster, **The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams (1350/1850)** , ripping it to ribbons. Meanwhile, Blade Knight landed a clean slash at the white-haired thief. **(Kaiba 4000/Bakura 2400)**

"Wow, Kaiba's ripping into him!" Duke cheered. Yugi did not smile. "Something's up. That Bakura's a trickster; I bet he's luring Kaiba into some kind of trap."

Bakura smirked, causing Yugi's suspicions to deepen. "I set another monster." Marik was frowning as well, and entered into Bakura's mind. _"What are you doing, you fool!? Kaiba will annihilate you in the next turn if he summons another monster! Perhaps I should control your mind and duel him myself!"_

 _"There is no need. Everything is going according to plan."_ Bakura replied impishly.

Kaiba was growing impatient, and drew with verve. _"Shoot! The only monster in my hand is a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. If I had another monster I could summon, then I could finish him this turn!"_ However, the CEO gradually brought himself under control again.

He sent his two monsters to attack again, his Vorse Raider slaying Bakura's **Headless Knight** **(1450/1750)** while his knight launched another direct attack. **(Kaiba 4000/Bakura 800)**

"Why don't you give up, you pathetic excuse for a duelist? You're wasting my time!" Kaiba jeered.

"Give up?" Bakura was giggling, a horrible, crazed laughter. "Why would I give up in my moment of triumph?" He drew once again, and his laughter now became a venomous cackle.

"With three fiend-type monsters in my graveyard, I can summon this! Behold, the horrors of **Dark Necrofear (2200/2800)**!" From a horrific purple miasma sprouted a truly unsettling blue mannequin, holding a broken doll in its clawed hands.

"Man, you're a creepy kid." Kaiba shuddered. "Flattery will get you nowhere, especially in the face of my overwhelming power!" Bakura mocked.

"I wouldn't call 2200 attack points overwhelming by any means. If you're so strong, why don't you try to inflict even a point of damage to me?" Kaiba challenged. He was employing one of his favorite trash-talking stratagems; baiting the adversary with his silver tongue into springing a trap.

"Why, that sounds like a bully idea! I think I'll attack your Vorse Raider!" Bakura said sarcastically.

"Fool! I activate **Shrink**! This magic allows me to halve one monster's attack points! I choose my Vorse Raider's! **(Vorse Raider 950/1200)**

"Now, I chain my trap, the **Crush Card Virus**! Now, by sacrificing a Dark-type with 1000 or less attack points, I can destroy every single monster in your deck with 1500 or more attack points! Say goodbye to your precious Dark Necrofear!" Kaiba said with unbearable smugness.

Vorse Raider first shrunk to fun-size before dispersing into purple germ particles. It infected the Dark Necrofear, and the demon let out a babyish screech before disappearing from the field.

The disease spread to Bakura's deck. To Kaiba's surprise, he only had to send three other cards from his deck to the card graveyard. "Hmph, I suppose someone with a deck of weak monsters wouldn't be affected too much by my Crush Card." Kaiba sneered, his blue eyes glinting with pride.

"Wait, why didn't Kaiba just use Shrink on Dark Necrofear? That way, his Vorse Raider would've destroyed it and dealt 800 points of damage to Bakura, winning the duel." Mai pointed out.

"Maybe ol' Rich Boy isn't as smart as we thought." Joey jibed, delivering his infamous chin face.

Yugi crossed his arms. "I suppose he could have made a mistake, but I doubt it. Kaiba is an expert strategist. My bet is that he simply wanted to rub his superiority into Bakura's face." Yugi said innocuously, his word choice inspiring several fetishistic yaoi scenarios in Tea's mind.

Bakura did not seem perturbed at all at this development. In fact, he was smiling and laughing even more. "Oh Kaiba, don't you see? You've been playing into my hand the entire time! I was counting on you destroying Dark Necrofear, because now I can activate the field spell **Dark Sanctuary** directly from my deck!"

The sky was stained blood red, enormous bloodshot eyeballs opening where the clouds once were. A dark castle rose behind Bakura, whose visage was shadowed by its presence. It was like a nightmare brought to life.

"There is no greater sin than hubris, and the demon lords find you worthy of eternal damnation!" Bakura's Millenium Ring glowed yellow in the crimson mist. "Welcome to Hell, Seto Kaiba!"

 _"Oh, I think I goofed a little bit."_ Kaiba's eyes widened.

"Big brother, I'm scared!" Serenity took solace in the comforting embrace of her brother Joey, but the others had no such escape. Even the normally unflappable Roland was unnerved by the surroundings.

"Ooh, a big scary hologram! I'm shaking in my $500 boots." Kaiba's atheism replied sarcastically. "Need I remind you that you have only 800 life points left, and I have plenty of powerful monsters in my deck that would be happy to deliver the final blow!"

"You have no allies here, as you'll soon find out. Now, I set two face-down cards and activate **The Dark Door**! Now, you may only attack once per turn!" Bakura cackled.

"I'll only need one attack! Now it's my turn!" Kaiba felt emboldened by the hellish field. He loved the feeling of pressure; it always inspired him to do his best. "I summon **Slate Warrior (1900/400)**!" A blue-faced android with gold-plated armor lumbered onto the fold, its posture rigid and unflinching.

"Now, finish him off!" Kaiba commanded. The robot sprinted forward, rearing back a punch directed at Bakura, who did flinch even slightly.

Suddenly, lavender energy burst forth from the back of the Slate Warrior, taking the form of a ghastly apparition.

Kaiba blanched before feeling an unnaturally cold chill pass through him. When he looked at his duel disk, he noticed that the life point counter had changed. **(Kaiba 3050/Bakura 1750)**

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaiba forcefully requested. "Oh dear, it seems that your Slate Warrior has been possessed by the ghost of Dark Sanctuary. How unfortunate." Bakura giggled.

"That doesn't explain anything!" Kaiba yelled. "Isn't it obvious? When Dark Sanctuary is on the field, one of your monsters is randomly possessed by its ghost. When you attack with a possessed monster, the attack is negated, and you take damage equivalent to half of your monster's attack points.

And just to make sure those points don't go to waste, they are added to my life point total!" Bakura said devilishly.

"What a powerful effect!" Yugi said, eyes widened. _"Excellent work, Bakura."_ Marik thought.

"So, you can't defeat me in a real fight, so you rely on tricks? Can't say I'm surprised." Kaiba insulted defensively. "Considering you fell for it hook, line, and sinker, forgive me if I don't take your criticisms to heart." Bakura replied cheekily.

 _"Alright, I can risk two more attacks. I can only hope to get lucky. If not, I need to draw a Mystical Space Typhoon, Virus Cannon, or Obelisk."_ Kaiba thought frantically.

He drew Y-Dragon Head. "Shoot. At least I can defend my life points with this."

He summoned the red dragon mecha in defense position **(1500/1600)**. "Ok, Slate Warrior, another time round!"

 _"No! That's not what you're supposed to attack with!"_ Bakura thought. "I play **Dark Spirit of the Silent**! This trap card allows me to choose which monster you're to attack with, and I choose your Blade Knight!"

Against its will, the knight was rushed forward. Inevitably, the ghost of Dark Sanctuary emerged, attacking Kaiba and aiding Bakura once more. **(Kaiba 2250/Bakura 2550)**

"Kaiba's only digging himself deeper!" Tristan said, concerned. "And before you end your turn, I think I'll activate a special little trap card I like to call **Destiny Board."** Bakura smirked as a blue-grey Ouija board materialized above his head.

"Oh no, are we going to put on a séance? I'll go get the scented candles." Kaiba snarked.

"There will be no scented candles, but there will be a very special message directed at you, Kaiba!" Bakura snapped a card from his deck, placing it in his spell and trap zone. The spirit messages "F" and "I" appeared as blue flames above the Ouija board.

"At the end of each of your turns, a new letter will appear in the form of a spell card. Once the full word is spelled out in three turns, I will automatically win the duel, and you will be damned for all eternity. How does that sound?" Bakura said with a demonic glint in his eye.

"Hey genius, I don't know if you noticed, but you only have five spell and trap zones. Therefore, if you want to spell out your stupid demonic message, you'll have to get rid of your Dark Door, which means all of my monsters will be able to crush you like the pissant you are." Kaiba said, deadpan.

"Silly me, I almost forgot to mention; my Dark Sanctuary allows me to use any spare monster zones I have as spell and trap zones. Now then, it's time for the show to go on!

"I summon **Sangan (1000/600)** in attack mode!" Bakura shouted. A demonic three-eyed hamster materialized on the rogue's field. "Dark Sanctuary's power can only be perpetuated by the sacrifice of another living being. Sangan shall be the first of many!"

The satanic gerbil was brutally dismembered by the ghouls. "And due to my Sangan's effect, I can add one monster with less than 1500 attack points to my hand when it is sacrificed." Bakura quickly added a card to his hand.

"I swear, Bakura's the reason why some parents think this game is satanic." Yugi shook his head. "Yugi, Kaiba's looking at an all-expense paid trip to hell in three turns! Aren't you worried?" Joey asked excitedly.

"Kaiba can't lose here." Yugi smirked. "Not before we have our rematch." "C'mon big bro, you can do it!" Mokuba cheered from the other side of the stage.

Kaiba drew nervously. "Ok, it's something to work with. I set one card face-down, and then I activate **Card Destruction**! This magic forces each of us to discard our hands and then draw as many as we threw away."

"Poor hand?" Bakura smirked, discarding the sole card in his hand and drawing another with contemptuous glibness.

Kaiba discarded his three-card hand slowly. "Ok, I never thought I'd be saying this, but….Heart of The Cards, gimme some of that sugar, baby!" He drew his three cards with a flourish.

 _"Kaiba's believing in the Heart of The Cards!"_ Yugi voiced within Yami's mind. "Yes, and we just recorded that little spiel on Joey's phone, so he'll never be living that one down." Yami smirked.

Kaiba gazed at his new cards with wide eyes. "Haha! At last, it is time! Prepare yourself, Bakura! You needed only three turns to activate your Destiny Board, but I'm about to end this duel in one! I sacrifice Blade Knight, Y-Dragon Head, and Slate Warrior! Now, I call on thee, the almighty Egyptian God, **Obelisk the Tormentor (4000/4000)**!"

The heavens trembled, thunderclouds parting to make way for the god's descent to Earth. A blue pillar of pure energy blasted down behind Kaiba, easily vaporizing the bloody mist created by the Dark Sanctuary.

"Oh, bugger." Bakura grimaced.

The mighty blue titan stood proudly behind the cackling Kaiba. It was so tall that only its upper half appeared on the blimp, its waist fading into nothingness. Even so, the creature was far taller than the zeppelin was, and if it so chose, could throw the aircraft like an enormous football.

Its red eyes were narrowed in malice, and its clawed hands were balled into threatening fists.

"No way! That's Kaiba's Egyptian God!?" Joey said, amazed. Everyone stared at the monster's greatness, mouths hanging open.

"The ghost of Dark Sanctuary is still roaming the field! Now my spirit, possess Obelisk the Tormentor!" Bakura shouted desperately.

The lavender ghost flew towards the titan slowly, only for Obelisk to flick it away with one finger like one would a booger.

 _"Well, you done goofed. Egyptian Gods cannot be targeted by spells and traps."_ Marik said in Bakura's mindscape. " _How….how on Earth am I supposed to beat an Egyptian God?"_ Bakura was scared beyond rational belief. _"I have a plan that may just save you yet."_ Marik said, amused.

"Bakura, meet Obelisk. Obelisk, meet Bakura. Don't worry, Obelisk here really likes meeting new people. I must warn you though; he has a very firm handshake." Kaiba laughed, reveling in his superiority. "Now then, time to finish you off!"

"You may want to wait before calling your attack, Mr. Kaiba." A deep voice echoed throughout the arena.

Kaiba snapped his head around to see Odion, who was slowly walking towards the duel platform. His dark eyes were hooded by his purple cowl, and the Millenium Rod was clasped firmly in his calloused hands.

"Marik! What do you want?!" Yugi shouted. "Bakura is under my control. Through the Millenium Rod, I have dominion over his mind." Odion said, his deep baritone giving even the ruthless Kaiba pause.

"I'm sick of listening to this fairy tale nonsense! I don't believe a word of what you're saying!" Kaiba roared, enraged that his moment of triumph was being trodden upon.

"To prove it, I will release my hold on Bakura." Odion said, raising the Millenium Rod. On cue, Yami Bakura relinquished Ryo's conscience back to him. The frail boy immediately fell to the ground in pain, clutching his lacerated arm.

"Ahn!...My arm! It hurts!" He said in the cutest way possible. "Oh for the love of card games!" Kaiba sighed in exasperation.

"Hey, Bakura needs medical attention now! Kaiba, stop the match!" Tristan yelled.

Kaiba said nothing in response, but he clearly was conflicted about the matter. Ryo groaned in pain, clutching his stabbed arm tightly. "Please, help me!" He cried. "Oh my goodness, I just want to hug him!" Mai said, clapping a hand over her mouth.

 _"C'mon, just surrender the match, kid…"_ Kaiba silently pleaded. "Mr. Kaiba, you'll have to make a move soon, or else you'll have to surrender the duel-" Roland began.

"Of course I remember the rules, Roland! I made them!" Kaiba yelled. "And now, I'm gonna end this! Obelisk, I command you to-"

"KAIBA!" Yugi roared from below. "If you go through with that attack," his voice became a dangerous growl, "I'll never forgive you!"

"Please, Mr. Kaiba, don't do it!" Serenity pleaded.

Kaiba now looked truly torn. Obelisk huffed impatiently, twiddling his giant thumbs like a bored child in a dentist's office.

 _"He's going to attack anyways!"_ Bakura mentally panicked. _"No surprise. Kaiba is known for prizing victory above all else. The only reason he hasn't unleashed the full force of Obelisk on you yet is because he's worried about the image of his company."_ Marik chuckled darkly.

 _"I cannot allow harm to befall Bakura!"_ Yami Bakura yelled. _"What do you care? Don't tell me that you have affection for the boy."_ Marik postulated.

Bakura sneered. "Hardly. Still, the boy has the constitution of a daisy. To suggest that he could take a punch from Obelisk the Tormentor of all things is ridiculous. I must step in, or else he's going to die!"

Against Marik's will, Bakura stepped, taking over Ryo's body with a yellow flash.

"The evil spirit is back!" Tea gasped. "Strike me down if you dare, Seto Kaiba, for I will return one day to complete my vengeance! And I assure you, next time you won't be able to hide behind your Egyptian God!" Bakura shouted.

"You're right, I won't be able to hide behind my Egyptian God. I'll be able to hide behind three of them! Now, if you're done whining like a baby, I believe it's naptime for you! Obelisk, tuck him in nicely with Fist of Fury!" Kaiba laughed maniacally.

Rearing his mighty fist back, Obelisk coalesced blue energy on its arm before shooting forwards, hitting Bakura with might rivaling twenty express trains. _"Soon I will return, and the greatest power in the world shall be mine!"_ The white-haired boy flew backwards, knocked unconscious. **(Kaiba 2250/Bakura 0)**

"Seto Kaiba is the winner!" Roland announced bombastically, not that anyone cared. Yugi and his friends rushed to Bakura's aid, Tristan quickly putting the ill boy on his shoulders. "He needs medical attention, now. That evil spirit decided to take the brunt of the attack, but Bakura is still in rough shape!" Tristan said hurredly.

"Kaiba, the blimp will need to be landed immediately. He needs to go to a hospital." Yugi said in low tones.

"He signed up for this, he should have to deal with the consequences. Besides, did you hear his talk about sending me to the ninth circle of Hell? Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna interrupt my tournament to help that guy." Kaiba responded coldly.

"That wasn't the real Bakura! He would never say the things that monstrous spirit did!" Yugi replied fiercely. "Mr. Kaiba, please help him!" Serenity's voice melted Kaiba's cold heart ever so slightly.

"There is a medical team on board this ship in case of emergency. We shall divert all of our staff to stabilizing him." Kaiba said gruffly. "Just go to the end of the main hallway and take a left. There'll be a bed waiting for him."

"Thank you!" Serenity said in response as they rushed off. Kaiba frowned after them, the victory a far more sour one than he would've liked. "A well-played bout, Mr. Kaiba." Roland said genially.

"Roland, there will be an hour's intermission." Kaiba said, paying no heed to his servant's previous words.

"Yes sir."

"Keep an eye on Mokuba. We don't need him crashing the blimp into a skyscraper or something."

"Yes sir."

Kaiba then went to his personal quarters, finding himself in desperate need of a cigar with whiskey.

 **A/N**

 **Greetings, lovely readers, and thanks for reading the second chapter of Luck of The Draw!**

 **An intense, if slightly shorter duel this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. Kaiba and Bakura are surprisingly nuanced characters, and neither of them acted heroic in this match, which made for good drama.**

 **Kaiba's hyper-aggressive playstyle was definitely able to put the pressure on Bakura's more passive strategy, which is why the duel is a little shorter. Kaiba's obsession with winning was put to the test here as he was forced to decide whether to win the duel or save Bakura's life. Of course, Kaiba has far less moral fiber than Yugi does, but he still had to encounter some conflict here.**

 **Bakura's roguishness was also fun to write. His cunning and wit makes him a good contrast to the more pugnacious Marik. Again, thanks for reading, and see ya'll next chapter!**

 **Oh, and happy summer/winter, depending on where you live :)**


	3. THE MILLENNIUM CONSPIRACY

Following Kaiba's directions, Yugi and his friends quickly evacuated the unconscious Bakura to the blimp's emergency first aid quarters. A crew of three doctors and two nurses were hastily called down, and Bakura was hooked up to an IV bed within a five minutes.

"Is he going to be OK, doc?" Joey asked in concern, gazing at Bakura's irregular pulse on the heartbeat monitor.

"He suffered a massive concussion, but he should be stable. Frankly, I'm surprised he's not in worse shape." One of the caretakers muttered.

"It must be because the spirit of the ring took the brunt of Obelisk's assault." Yugi theorized. "Um, hello?" The doctor responded quizzically.

"Uh, don't mind him, he's a really spiritual guy. Doesn't really put much stock in science and stuff like that." Duke amended.

"Modern medical science pales in comparison to the Heart Of The Cards." Yugi said sagely.

"Um…cool. Anyways, you guys should probably get back to the main hall. The third match will be called soon." One of the nurses said uncertainly.

"Right, thanks for everything you guys!" Tristan called as the group left the room.

"Man, what a bunch of wackjobs. What does the "Heart Of The Cards" even mean?" The doctor laughed mockingly as soon as they left the room. "Not to mention the hair that Yugi guy was sporting. Yeah, nuttier than squirrel poo." The nurse giggled.

Yugi and his friends soon made their way back to the hall, where the lottery was already in motion.

"Ah, right on time, Yugi. Your name was just called." Kaiba sneered. "I see." Yugi frowned, gazing over at Marik and Namu, who were both looking expectant. "I am ready for whoever shall be my opponent." Yugi crossed his arms confidently.

"And Mr. Moto's opponent shall be…number seven, Marik Ishtar!"

Yugi and Odion instantly glared at each other, fury evident in both of their expressions.

 _"It's time, Odion! The pharaoh will come at you with everything he has from the start. I don't need to tell you to do the same."_ Marik mentally commanded his brother.

"At last, our revenge shall be complete." Odion thought, his words heavy with meaning. _"There is no room for error here! Seize his Egyptian God and we shall be truly invincible!"_ Marik cackled.

"All right! Time to pay this creep back for everything he's done to us!" Joey shouted gregariously. "Yugi, take this guy out!" Tristan cheered. "We're all standing right behind you!" Mai added.

Yugi turned and spared them a quick smile before turning his intense gaze back to Odion. They were both led by Roland to the Stratos arena, the tension between them palpable.

"Your evil designs end today, Marik!" Yugi snarled as he squared up with Odion on the top of the blimp. Odion said nothing in response, his frown only deepening as he took his deck out.

"I'll shuffle that, if you don't mind." Yugi challenged. Odion paused, twenty of his cards in each hand. "Very well. It makes little difference." The two enemies slowly walked towards each other, handing over their decks. They quickly shuffled each other's cards and walked back to their respective sides.

To intimidate Yugi, Odion pulled out the Millenium Rod and gripped it firmly in his muscular hands.

"Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing, I might get the wrong idea!" Yugi growled.

"He's going to try and control Yugi's mind!" Tea worried. "No way, Yugi's way too strong for that!" Joey said brazenly. Behind them, the real Marik chuckled. _"Well played, Odion. They have no clue that the Millenium Rod that Odion holds is a mere replica of the true item held by me!"_

Marik held the real Millenium Rod behind his back. His entire plan would be easily foiled if anyone cared to simply look at him or talk to him, but so far everything was going off without a hitch.

Inexplicably, Seto Kaiba felt his gaze drawn towards the staff as well. This unsettled Marik to a high degree; like his sister Ishizu, he was familiar with the stone tablet featuring the pharaoh's ancient battle with a sorcerer who bore a striking resemblance to Kaiba. Even more unsettlingly, the sorcerer on the ancient mural held the Millenium Rod, contrasting with the pharaoh, who held the Puzzle.

Marik resolved that Kaiba would fall by his hands. As long as the CEO lived, his ownership of the Rod would be in jeopardy. Besides, Kaiba didn't have any friends, so Marik felt that he would not have to worry about any sort of revenge. For the time being though, the pharaoh would need to be taken care of.

"Now, let the hour of your demise begin, pharaoh." Odion drew his first card. "I set one monster in face-down defense position. Then, I shall activate a field spell known as **Temple Of The Kings**." Odion said solemnly.

Behind the tombkeeper rose an enormous brown-golden cathedral, styled after the tombs of ancient Egyptian nobles. A large sarcophagus loomed ominously above an alabaster staircase. Torches now lined the blimp's arena, casting the overcast night with an orange glow.

"I shall end my turn with two face-down cards." Odion finished.

"He's not going to tell me what his field spell does, which means it doesn't have an immediate effect. I'll have to tread carefully." Yugi thought, mulling over his strategy as he drew his card.

 _"He's already holing up behind a wall of defensive traps. The best plan would be to spring his traps so that I can get a clear shot at him."_ "I summon **Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts! (1500/1200)** A ferocious brown-furred beast sprung onto the field, its leonine roar setting Odion's teeth on edge.

"I shall attack your monster, now!" Gazelle leapt at the face-down card, which flipped up to reveal **Cat of Ill Omen (500/300)** , a creepy red-eyed ebony cat decorated in golden bangles. Gazelle easily ripped the feline to shreds.

"My monster's effect allows me to place one trap card on the top of my deck." Odion quickly grabbed his deck, scanning through the cards before picking one out. He placed a trap on the top of his deck before allowing Yugi to continue with his turn.

 _"I wasn't able to get a good look at that trap card! Marik wants to be as sneaky as possible, that snake!"_ Yugi placed a card face-down and ended his turn.

 _"I draw, and set two more cards face-down. That ends my turn."_ Odion said shortly. Yugi bristled as he drew, unsure of what to do.

 _"So, Marik is relying on a trap-based defensive strategy. How will you deal with this, Yugi?"_ Kaiba mused.

"Man, what a lowlife, hiding behind his little traps. Why don't you fight like a real man!?" Joey called up to the arena. "When you find the rule that prevents me from playing trap cards, I will stop. Until then, I will play this game however I choose to." Odion responded icily.

"Coward." Yugi muttered. "I play **Big Shield Gardna (100/2600)** in defense mode!" A longhaired barbarian crouched on the field, protected by his enormous body-sized shield.

"From there, I shall attack you directly! Go, Gazelle!" Yugi cried, the leopard leaping at the impassive Odion.

"Trap card activate." The bald tombkeeper declared, seemingly bored. Without warning, a grey, rotting zombie halted Yugi's attack. The skeletal dragon rose, and Gazelle wisely held firm for the time being.

"And what sorcery is this?" Yugi growled.

"This is **Zoma The Spirit (1800/500)** , a unique strain of trap known as a Trap Monster. When it is activated, it automatically becomes a new monster that is summoned. I summon Zoma in defense position." Odion intoned.

"Why would he summon it in defense mode?" Tristan questioned. "That thing could easily wipe out Yugi's Gazelle in attack mode."

"Obviously, he wants Yugi to attack. It's strategy 101." Mai drawled, having little patience for the Tristan's ineptitude. "Well, at least someone finally called them out." Kaiba muttered.

 _"I have no choice but to continue to attack! If I don't, that Zoma will destroy Gazelle next turn anyways!"_ Yugi thought furiously. "Gazelle, continue your attack!"

Odion smirked as the beast sliced apart the rotting zombie dragon. "Fool, you have activated Zoma's special effect! When it is destroyed by battle, you lose life points equal to the attack points of the creature that destroyed it!" Odion shouted as a purple mist slithered dangerously close to Yugi.

The King of Games shivered uncontrollably when the miasma washed over him, his senses sharpening with anger and adrenaline. **(Yugi 2500/Odion 4000)**

"I end my turn."

"Good. Now then, I do believe it's time I decide to fight back. I activate my three face-down trap cards!" Odion brought his hand forth, a purple aura glowing on the field. From black smoke came three horrific creatures, dark fusions of serpent and man. The three snakes somehow had claws, enabling them to wield curved scimitars and shields. Truly abomidable, these monsters unsettled even Kaiba.

 **"Embodiment of Apophis. (1600/1800)"** Odion called. "Wipe out his Gazelle with the blade of Anubis!" One of the serpents rushed forward, it's slick body practically gliding across the Kaibacorp blimp. With a swift slash, the snake sliced apart Gazelle. **(Yugi 2400/ Odion 4000)**

"Hold it together, Yugi!" Joey called out in support. "You are lucky that your Gardna protects you for now, but I assure you, it is only a matter of time until I breach it."

"We'll see, Marik!" Yugi said while forcefully drawing his next card. "Excellent! Marik, I think it's time I show you a little magic trick!" The bald villain smirked, knowing what was coming next.

"A magic trick called the **Dark Magic Curtain**! By paying half my life points, I can summon **Dark Magician (2500/2100)** from my deck in attack mode! Now come forth, my loyal friend!" **(Yugi 1200/Odion 4000)**

From behind Yugi, an enormous red curtain opened, revealing a seemingly endless blanket of stars beneath it. From this miniature universe came forth Yugi's most iconic monster. Dressed in his plated violet armor and brandishing a mystical emerald staff, the Dark Magician had finally made his appearance.

"Yugi truly has been backed into a corner, to have to pay even more life points to summon Dark Magician. Plus, he can't even summon for the rest of the turn." Mokuba snarked, thinking himself clever.

"Not so, little brother. The Dark Magician is a formidable monster, with plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Now the tables have turned." Kaiba retorted sharply.

"No more traps to protect you now! Go, vanquish his monster with Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi called. The wizard nodded in stoic fashion before pointing his staff at the serpent. Purple, burning energy glowed on its tip before being released in a volley of energy blasts. The dark snake was burned away completely, and for the first time, Odion looked ruffled. **(Yugi 1200/Odion 3100)**

"I shall set one card face-down before ending my turn." Yugi declared.

"Not bad, Pharoah." The tombkeeper admitted grudgingly. From below, the real Marik glanced at his brother. _"Do not let him shake your composure, Odion. I warned the Pharoah would be a difficult opponent. You have done well so far, but do let his momentary advantage accumulate into something greater."_ Marik admonished quickly.

 _"Yes, Master Marik."_ Odion replied before drawing. He set one face-down card before switching both of his Embodiments of Apophis to defense position. The Temple of Kings still looming in the background, Odion's thoughts raced furiously before he eventually decided to end.

Yugi smirked as he resumed his turn. "I activate **Graceful Charity** , a magic that allows me to draw three cards and then discard two. And now-" Yugi paused as he drew and discarded his cards. "Ah, excellent! Since I drew my monster **Watapon (200/300)** as the result of a card effect, I can summon it to the field."

Onto Yugi's field sprouted an adorable white cotton puff with cute blue eyes and sparkles emanating from it. "I don't see how you expect me to take this match seriously with such nonsense sullying the field." Odion snarled.

Yugi smirked, sending his Kuriboh and Mystic Box cards to the grave. "I assure you, my deck has no useless cards. Now, I sacrifice Watapon to summon a very special monster of mine. It is, in fact, the student of my Dark Magician, the **Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)!** "

She appeared in a pink poof of magic, wearing a criminally skimpy blue and pink uniform With a cute, playful appearance combined with her long blonde hair, the Dark Magician Girl had proven to be one of Yugi's most popular monsters with his fans. Duelists across the world often would allow him to summon her even if they could prevent it, such was the strength of her beauty.

With a mischievous wink, she greeted her teacher, the Dark Magician. The warlock only returned the barest of nods to her, having no patience for his student's whimsical nature.

Joey, Tristan, and Duke caught themselves drooling, but stopped after a dangerous glare from both Tea and Mai.

"And now, say goodbye to both of your serpents! Go, my magicians, attack with Dark Magic Burning!" Yugi cried. Both of his wizards rose into the air, levitating their staves in front of them. A swirling vortex of violet power coalesced in front of them before it launched itself at the snakes. The trap monsters were burned to a crisp by the attack, leaving Odion with no defenses.

Surprisingly, the tombkeeper did not seemed distressed in the slightest by this latest development.

 _"Man, this guy is unflappable! I always figured Marik would be a lot quicker to anger, but this guy looks like he's out on a Sunday drive!"_ Yugi thought, frustrated.

"An impressive move, Pharoah. I am honored to witness your ace monsters in action. However, I think it's time they get benched for a little while. I activate **Swords of Revealing Light**." Odion said.

Shining emerald blades rained from the sky, imprisoning Yugi and his monsters inside a jade cage. With this magic in play, Yugi would be unable to attack for three turns.

Odion then set a card and ended his turn. "Man, this match has even slower pacing than the usual duels!" Duke growled, growing frustrated. "Yeah, Marik's really putting Yugi through his paces. Still, I know our bud's gonna come through!" Joey said supportively.

Yugi ticked, unsatisfied with his draw. "I summon **Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700)** in defense mode." The green rock fighter knelt on the field, holding its magnet-shaped shield in front of its head.

Odion drew once again, and for the first time all match, his expression betrayed surprise. His shock was understandable, however, as his latest draw was none other than the Winged Dragon of Ra, the third of the Egyptian God cards.

" _Master Marik, what is this!? I never placed your God Card in my deck!_ " Odion frantically communicated to his master.

 _"Why are you confused, my loyal servant? If you summon the Winged Dragon of Ra, there will be no doubt in any of these fool's minds that you are me!"_ Marik explained bombastically.

" _But this isn't the real Ra! It's a counterfeit! Who knows what will happen if I summon it?!"_ Odion panicked.

 _"This is not a discussion! You will summon Ra at the first opportunity, and you will unleash its power on the Pharoah, or else you will suffer my wrath!"_ Marik shouted.

 _"Yes, my master…"_ Odion replied, cowed.

"What's the matter, Marik? Poor draw?" Yugi taunted.

"Hardly. Now, I activate my face-down trap monster, **Metal Reflect Slime (0/3000)**!" An amorphous, flowing blob of pure silver appeared on Odion's field in defense position.

"Now, even your Dark Magician won't be able to touch me!"

Yugi frowned. "Still, the swords will be gone in one turn. C'mon, Heart of the Cards, show me the money!" He drew, and the sky darkened. Bolts of yellow lightning struck the ground behind Yugi.

"Now, Marik, it's time for you see the true power of my deck! I sacrifice Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and Alpha The Magnet Warrior!" All three of his monsters transformed into balls of light, absorbing into the card Yugi drew.

"No way! Is Yugi really about summon his Egyptian God!?" Tristan shouted, disbelieving. _"That's it, Yugi. Show me your true power here and now!"_ Kaiba smirked, eager to see the second of the gods in action.

"Now come forth, **Slifer The Sky Dragon**!" The red dragon curled around the blimp, and out of colored light came its maw. The draconic behemoth stared at Odion with a hateful expression. There was no doubt that this dragon could easily compete with the likes of Obelisk The Tormentor.

It roared at Odion, who, amazingly, was able to keep his composure in the face of the god monster.

"Wow, incredible!" Tea shouted, the rest of Yugi's friends having similar reactions.

"Ah, Slifer. A formidable weapon to have on your side. Enjoy the feeling of wielding a god while you can, Yugi…" Kaiba muttered.

"Slifer gains 1000 attack and defense points for every card in my hand. Since I currently have three, that means my Egyptian God has 3000 points!" Yugi cried.

Odion let out a sigh of relief. "My Metal Reflect Slime will be able to hold it off, then. So much for your Egyptian God, Pharaoh!"

"Hide behind your defenses while you can, Marik, for next turn, Slifer will be able to wipe out your Slime and your life points will be unprotected." Yugi said, confident.

 _"This will be your only chance for victory, fool! Summon Ra!"_ Marik pressured, growing increasingly impatient.

 _"No, I cannot risk it! I am not worthy to hold an Egyptian God!"_ Odion resisted, drawing his next card.

"I activate **Card of Sanctity** , allowing each of us to draw until we have six cards in our hands." Odion shouted. "Not a very good strategy. Now, my Slifer has 6000 points to work with." Yugi said, crossing his arms.

Odion ignored him, pressing onwards with his turn. "And now, I play **Polymerization** , fusing together my Metal Reflect Slime with the **Revival Jam** in my hand!" the silver substance began swirling and mixing, expanding into a larger shape. Before long, Yugi was looking at a physical replica of his own Slifer the Sky Dragon.

"Meet **Egyptian God Slime**! This Fusion Monster takes the shape of whatever the strongest monster on your field is, while having 3000 attack and defense points of his own!" Odion called. The grey clone of Slifer curled around the Temple of The Kings, liquid silver dripping off of its frame.

Yugi was unimpressed. "Slifer's Second Mouth ability activates! Now your new monster loses 2000 points right off the bat! Go, my Egyptian God, attack with Thunder Force!"

Slifer unleashed a blast of pure lightning at the unsightly clone, ripping apart the silvery liquid that made up its body. However, the slime was able to reform itself. **(Egyptian God Slime 1000/3000)**

"I shall end with two more face-downs." Odion finished.

Yugi drew with a feeling of exhilariation. This was the first time he had ever wielded his Egyptian God in a duel, and it was a heady experience maintaining its primal power. Slifer's attack points rose to 7000 with the next draw.

"It's over, Marik! I activate **Monster Reborn** , allowing me to resurrect my Dark Magician from the grave!" His faithful familiar rejoined his side. The Dark Magician cast a sideways glance at Slifer the Sky Dragon, sweating from being so close to the god. Still, he would faithfully serve his master.

"Slifer, attack his Egyptian God Slime now!" Yugi commanded, and his dragon released another wave of thunder at the amorphous silver. And yet again, the metal reformed.

"It is useless, Pharoah. The God Slime is impervious to destruction by battle, even if it is attacked by a god. It is the ultimate defense." Odion intoned.

"I'll find a way past it. Everything, I'll beat _everything_ you throw at me, Marik, and I won't stop until I have no more cards to draw!" Yugi declared, frustrated.

"You will try." Odion said, his coldness in sharp contrast with Yugi's passion. _"Do you see, master? I have the situation under control."_ He projected in defiance.

 _"Oh please, you have only delayed the pharaoh, not stopped him. He will eventually find a way around your defense. Your two face-downs are Call of the Haunted and Stronghold the Moving Fortress. You could summon Ra this turn if you so chose, so do it!"_ Marik ordered.

 _"Master, I cannot do as you ask. It is unfair."_ Odion said again.

 _"I have had enough of your insubordination! If you don't summon Ra this turn, then I will excommunicate you from the Rare Hunters!"_ Marik shouted, causing Odion to wince.

 _"Very well."_ "This next move will herald your end, Pharaoh! I activate my face-down trap monster, **Stronghold the Moving Fortress** (0/2000)!" A comical, white-plated robot clanged down to the field, its gears spinning frantically. "And next, I'll play **Call of the Haunted**! This trap allows me to summon a monster from the grave in attack position! Now, I bring back my Cat of Ill Omen back!"

"Three sacrifices…this ain't good!" Joey said, realizing what was about to happen.

"Well well, this might be my lucky day after all…" Kaiba sneered, his blue eyes glinting in anticipation.

"It's over, Pharaoh! I sacrifice my Fortress, my Cat, and my Egyptian God Slime!" Golden bolts of lighting ominously crackled in dark thunderclouds as the three monsters dematerialized.

"Almighty protector of the sun and sky! I beg of thee please hear my cry! Transform thyself from orb of light, and bring me victory in this fight! I summon thee, **Winged Dragon of Ra**!"

Pure yellow erupted form the heavens, the sun itself paling in comparison to its brightness. Everyone on the blimp was forced to shield their eyes, the light intense enough to fuse a human's corneas on sight.

Eventually, the light dulled to a seething orange fire, and ash suddenly filled the air. A shadowy phoenix descended from nowhere, its glowing red eyes promising swift and holy vengeance upon whomever had been foolish enough to invoke its wrath.

Yugi gazed on in horror. "Something's wrong…something is so wrong."

"Well done, my faithful servant." Marik was barely even pretending to be inconspicuous at this point, smirking openly.

"No…no! I can't control it, master!" Odion cried, his duel disk arm convulsing.

 **"FOOLS!"** Ra shouted, shocking everyone. **"I DO NOT SERVE THE UNWORTHY! AS PUNISHMENT FOR WAKING ME FORM MY SLUMBER, YOU LOWLY HUMANS WILL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT! OF! DAY!"**

Before anyone could react, thunder struck Odion in the head. Tea screamed as he fell to the floor, his fake Millenium Rod shattering into chunks.

"Pilots, what the hell are you doing? Steer us out of this thunderstorm immediately! One of the finalists just got struck by lightning!" Kaiba roared into his microphone.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba, but I can't! The thundercloud seems to be... seems to be following us! I'll send the paramedics up immediately!" Kaiba's servant said frantically.

Yugi tried to run over to Odion, but he was accosted by Roland. "Mr. Moto, I'm sorry, but if you touch your opponent, you will be disqualified from the tournament!"

"Get out of the way!" Yugi snarled, shoving him to the side. "Slifer, attack that monster now!"

Although it was not Yugi's turn, the conventional rules of the game were seemingly falling apart in this instance. Slifer unleashed a beam of energy at the counterfeit Ra, driving the vengeful god back.

Joey jumped onto the arena floor, running over to assist Yugi. At this, Rolan remotely deactivated the duel disks, and the battle of the gods was halted as their holographic displays disappeared.

Odion's head was gruesomely burned, and Yugi forced his attention to his cards. He slowly picked up the Winged Dragon of Ra card, carefully noting its distinct features from the other cards in his deck.

"Yugi, that card's a fake!" Joey said. Yugi frowned before neatly ripping the counterfeit card in two. "What a disgrace. So dishonorable that he doesn't even have the real Egyptian God he brags so much about." Yugi sneered.

"A fake card? In that case, I suppose Marik is disqualified…" Kaiba announced. "And that means that Yugi wins!"

"But Mr. Kaiba, Mr. Moto broke the rules first!" Roland protested.

"Oh, I think we can excuse it this time…Yugi was just concerned for his opponent, that's all. Now run and get those paramedics!" Kaiba barked, ignoring his servant's misgivings.

"Y-yes sir." Roland murmured, running off to grab the emergency medical team.

"So if the Ra Marik was using is a fake…where's the real one?" Tristan asked.

"Right here, you fools!" Marik shouted from behind them. There was no longer any use for disguise.

He was panting and sweating, looking as if he was about to be sick. His purple irises were empty of emotion, and he clutched the real Millennium Rod with a new sort of viciousness.

"That's right! I am Marik, and I am the real holder of Ra and the Millennium Rod!" He shouted, even while wincing in pain.

"What? That guy's the real Marik?" Duke said in disbelief.

"If you're Marik, then who is this?" Yugi said in shock, horrified at the idea that he sicced Slifer on someone who didn't deserve it.

"Him?" Marik said, offhand. Now that Odion was no longer useful to him, he didn't care what happened to him. "That was my faithful servant and brother, Odion. Skilled duelist he is, his skills pale in comparison to mine. I confess, I made a mistake when placing that fake Ra card in his deck. The gods only serve the worthy, this is true."

"That must be why Ra attacked him and not me. If this is the way you treat your allies, I think I'm actually safer as your enemy." Yugi said.

Marik convulsed again, clutching his head in pain. "What's wrong with him?" Joey asked, disturbed.

"Master Marik…" Odion's voice stirred beyond all reason. He struggled to open his eyes, hi brain frazzled from the lightning strike. "He has a darker side…"

"Yeah, we know. Pretty sure we're seeing it right now, buddy." Tristan snarked.

"No, you fool…I'm able to hold it back, but Master Marik has an even deeper evil lurking within…an evil that you cannot escape!"

Odion's head rolled back as he said these words, and soon his eyes closed again. "What?" Before Yugi could even comprehend the situation, the Kaibacorp paramedic team shoved past him and attended to Odion. They placed the tombkeeper on a cot and rushed him to the hospital wing.

When Odion had left, everyone turned towards the real Marik with rage and shock. "Heh…heh. You fools are finished…I will kill the pharaoh and avenge my clan!"

Suddenly, Marik transformed, a green light surrounding his body. The other duelists were taut with fear. Mai hid Serenity from the display, while Mokuba cowered behind Seto's leg.

Marik's hair shot upwards in unnatural length, and a golden eye of wdjat shone upon his forehead. Any trace of empathy in his amethyst eyes was gone completely, replaced by an insatiable sadism.

The true evil in Marik's heart had awoken.

 **A/N**

 **So…it's been a while…heh…heh….yeah, my bad. Scummy move on my part to leave this story for three months, I know.**

 **Yeah, I just wasn't feeling this story for the longest time, but I'm back, and the next chapter will probably be out sooner.**

 **Next chapter will be Yami Marik (who is one of my favorite anime villains btw) vs Ishizu in a glorious war of sibling rivalry! See you all then, and thank you for bearing with my laziness!**


	4. BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

The tension was palpable, the stars themselves freezing in the sky in the wake of this frightening development.

Marik (or was he?) smirked, looking around at his foes with a restless, yet lackadaisical expression. He licked his lips, that golden eye never fading from his forehead.

"Who are you? What is the meaning of this?" Yugi roared. Marik lazily settled his gaze on the pharaoh, a festering, raw hatred bubbling to the surface.

He laughed, a horrifying sound that would set even the hardiest of men on edge. "Who am I? I am the only and true Marik."

Yugi sighed. _"Well, that didn't really answer my question. I guess I'll try again."_ "Are you a spirit from the Millennium Rod?"

"No, pharaoh. The rod is merely a conduit by which I can focus my powers. What I said before is true; I am Marik's anger, his hatred, his impotent rage and his inability to change the world around him. Odion was able to hold me back, but now I am free. And soon, I will be the ruler of this world! The unbearable vacancy of the throne will be filled, and the new age of darkness will begin!" Marik said, his voice fluctuating between being waspishly quiet and bombastically sonorous.

"So he's even more insane that he used to be! Fantastic!" Tristan, amazingly, was able to find some humor in the situation.

"You won't win. I'll defeat you and your wicked ambitions!" Yugi shouted.

"Then face me, and watch as your throne crumbles once and for all!" Marik cackled, latching a duel disk onto his veiny arm.

"I think not." Kaiba said calmly, stepping between Yugi and Marik.

"Step back, Kaiba. Your turn will come soon." Marik warned, casually pointing the Millennium Rod at the brown-haired CEO.

"Kaiba, let me duel him. He's a menace, and he needs to be stopped!" Yugi protested.

"No. This is my tournament, unless you forgot. Marik here is scheduled to duel…someone besides you. Roland, who is Marik supposed to duel this round?" Kaiba said, his epic speech slightly ruined by his confusion.

"Mr. Kaiba, not only should this man be disqualified for entering the tournament under a false identity, but also for clearly being a murderous psychopath! I'm calling the police!"

Kaiba put a firm hand on Roland's shoulder. "That won't be necessary, Roland. Besides, how would the authorities even get up here?"

"Mr. Kaiba, how can you possibly condone this type of behavior?" Roland began to protest before getting shushed by his boss.

"What if I bought you a new Bugatti after this? Would that make it all better?" Kaiba wheedled. "Yes." Roland pouted. "That can be arranged. Now then, who is Marik scheduled to face in the fourth round?"

"Well sir, we don't know. It's the anonymous eighth finalist. We'll call them up right now." Roland said, making his way towards the intercom system.

"That won't be necessary." A mysterious voice intoned. From the elevator came a lithe, robed woman with tanned brown skin and piercing blue eyes. She wore sandy beige robes of Egyptian style and held a golden necklace adorned with the Eye of Wdjat.

"Ishizu?" Yugi asked, bewildered by the tombkeeper's sudden entrance. "You're a finalist?"

She spared him a demure smile. "Yes, my pharaoh. I entered into the tournament to stop my brother's ambitions. I…I never imagined things would get this bad."

"Hey, are you sure you want to face Marik? You can always back out!" Joey said out of concern.

"I cannot do that. This duel is my concern. Brother, I will free you from the darkness in your heart!"

Marik regarded her with an empty sneer. He laughed again, seeming to regard her as nothing more than a sideshow. "Sister! What a touching reunion!"

"You are not my brother! You merely wear his body like a mask. I will banish you to the darkness from whence you came!" Ishizu declared, activating her duel disk. Kaiba smirked. "Ah, she's got a little fire in her…"

Marik moved to sneer again, but suddenly, his eye twitched in pain. "Sister, help me!" The voice of the former Marik cried from within. Yami Marik silenced his host with a forceful mental slam. "I think that's enough out of you…weakling."

"Um…" Roland pulled at his collar, disliking this whole awkward situation. "Unless the two of you would like to see a therapist, your duel will now begin."

"What are we doing? We need to see if that Odion guy is alright!" Tea gasped, feeling horrible for forgetting about the servant of Marik.

"He wasn't a good guy, honey. At the end of the day, he was trying just as hard to kill Yugi as Marik was. Frankly, I don't see why we should bother." Mai said callously.

Yugi said nothing in response to Tea's plea, a stone cold expression on his face.

"I don't want to leave. If I face Marik in the finals, I'll need to know what I'm up against. I'm sure the doctors will be able to help him, like they did Bakura." Joey reasoned, a guilty feeling tearing through his conscience.

Tea huffed, clearly displeased with the lot of them. "Fine, I'll go by myself. See you all later." She said curtly before entering the central elevator.

Serenity looked after her with a sad expression. "I feel bad…Tea cares so much…"

"She would understand if she was a duelist. The best thing we can do is analyze what we're up against. That way, we're ensuring Odion's safety, as well as our own." Yugi said, a note of regret laced in his tone.

Marik and Ishizu drew their cards, and the duel began.

"I look forward to seeing you writhe in agony! I shall begin!" Marik growled, snapping his first card off the top of his deck. "I summon **Revival Jam (1500/500)** in attack mode!" His first monster was a ghoulish, amorphous blue blob of slime, constantly shifting and squirming about.

"Next, I'll cast my **Jam Breeding Machine** spell! Now, every turn I can summon a Slime Token to my field, as long I don't normal summon any other monsters. I shall end with that." Marik cackled

"My turn, draw." Ishizu said in that eerily calm tone of hers. "I set a monster and end my turn."

"Did you see that, Yugi? She set one of the cards she drew without even looking at it!" Joey noticed acutely.

"I know. It must the Millennium Item around her neck. It allows her to see the future to a small degree. He victory is, in theory, assured, since she can predict her opponent's moves." Yugi said seriously.

"Wait, isn't that cheating?" Duke brought up facetiously. "Shut up, Duke." Mai retorted, chuckling at this insight.

Marik chuckled, also realizing his adversary's advantage. "If you think your little mystic act intimidates me, sister, you are sadly mistaken. Now then, since it is my turn, my Jam Breeding Machine activates, summoning a Slime Token (500/500)." A fiendish blue sphere materialized, leering at Ishizu.

"Now, Revival Jam, attack her monster now!" The azure slime descended upon Ishizu's lone line of defense. The monster was revealed to be a green and brown wooden doll holding a shield. It was **Keldo (1200/1600)** and it successfully fended off the opposing monster. **(Ishizu 4000/Marik 3900)**

Suddenly, Marik winced in pain. His fist clenched, and he grinned manically. "Ah, that feels good…" Even as he spoke, purple mist descended upon the field, shrouding everyone in near-darkness.

Ishizu frowned in resignation, as though she knew this was going to happen. "I suppose it was too much to hope for you to play fairly, demon."

"On the contrary, dear sister, the shadows devour everyone with equal prejudice. It is much more fair than the arbitrary rulings of man because in here, only the strong survive!" Marik cackled.

"And what are the rules of this twisted game?" Ishizu's voice smoothly cut through his ranting.

"I'm glad you asked! Now, every time one of us takes damage, we feel the pain of our monsters! When you fended off my attack just now, I was able to feel some of that wonderful pain for myself…" He licked his lips.

"Filthy degenerate!" She cried.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. Now, I believe it is your turn, sister. Be careful; one wrong move could cost everything!" Marik bowed mockingly, like a play-actor.

"Seto, I'm pretty sure this is actually illegal. This has gotta be against the tournament rules, right?" Mokuba, the sole voice of reason, spoke up.

"I'm cool with it. Besides, we can always deactivate their duel disks if things get too out of hand." Kaiba said, having no clue about the severity of the situation.

Ishizu drew her next card, preparing her next move with the help of the Millennium Necklace. However, when she tried to use the power of her mystical item, it was unresponsive.

Slowly, she turned her card over and looked at it with her eyes. It was Exchange of the Spirit. _"Why doesn't my necklace work?"_ She wondered frantically. Marik smirked at her, relishing in her confusion. _"It must be his shadow game that's interfering with my precognition!"_

Yugi recognized this too, but said nothing. Ishizu's early advantage had quickly been nullified, and now her reliance on seeing the future was backfiring.

"I summon **Mudora (1500/1800)**!" Ishizu called forth a masked Egyptian warrior holding a dagger. "Next, I equip him with **Cestus of Dagla**!" Mudora traded his short sword for two golden knuckle armaments. "This spell gives my monster 500 extra attack points, and when it destroys a monster, I gain life points equal to the amount of damage you receive!"

"Strong work. I expected nothing less." Marik said calmly.

"And I'm far from finished! I activate **Dragged Down to the Grave**! This spell allows us to look at each other's hands and discard one card of our choice. From there, we can each draw a card."

For some reason, this caused Marik's smirk to widen. "Very well." He calmly strode across the platform and held out three-card hand. He was carrying a Drillago, a Mystical Space Typhoon, and his Egyptian God card, the Winged Dragon of Ra.

Ishizu's blue eyes widened _. "He's already drawn his god card! That must be why he's using that Jam Breeding Machine, to get sacrifices! Well, that won't work on me!"_

"Ishizu seems surprised about something." Mai observed. "Indeed. And I have a horrible feeling that I know why." Yugi grimaced.

"I'll discard your Winged Dragon of Ra." She declared calmly. Marik's mouth twitched imperceptibly before he smoothly grabbed his God Card and sent it to the grave. He then looked at her hand. He was uncomfortably close, only a few inches from her.

She only held two cards; Exchange of the Spirit, and Swords of Revealing Light. "I'll discard your Exchange of the Spirit." He murmured before turning about-face and returning to his side of the ring.

Kaiba's calculating eyes were flickering between the two duelists. _"What a shame. I was hoping to find out Ra's effect. It seems Ishizu was a bit more savvy than I anticipated. However, her skills are middling compared to mine."_

Yugi and Joey were strangely uncomfortable. "This is good, right? This way, Ra can't be summoned no matter what." Joey said.

"Hmm, not quite. Spells work on Egyptian Gods for one turn. Marik could still revive Ra for a turn with Monster Reborn if he drew it." Yugi frowned. The Battle City rules forbade more than one copy of Monster Reborn in a duelist's deck, so Marik's chances of drawing it were slim.

Still, it wouldn't be the first time something unexpected happened.

"Mudora, attack his Jam Token!" Ishizu called, and her warrior leapt forward. The slime was easily chopped up, and Marik felt an electric jolt of agony. Meanwhile, as Ishizu gained life points, she felt a pleasant numbing sensation creep up her fingers. **(Marik 2400/Ishizu 5500)**

"Is that enough to bring you back to your senses, brother?" She asked, a fierce gaze smoldering.

Smoke furled off of Marik's purple cloak, and he shivered in pain. "Don't you see? I _have_ been brought to my senses! I am the real Marik, and I have never felt so alive as I do right now! All of your efforts are completely futile!" He shouted.

Trembling, she ended her turn. "Nothing to say? That's what I thought. Now, I call forth another slime token! Then, I sacrifice it to summon **Helpoemer (2000/1000)"** Marik had called forth another hellish creature.

It was an emaciated corpse with blue skin, mounted on an animated cross. Blue letters of foreign origin flowed from its mouth, and everyone present felt an acute chill.

"Now, attack her Keldo, my fiend!" Marik called. The eerie zombie opened its palm ad closed it again. For a moment, nothing happened, but then, Keldo collapsed in on itself, congealing into a mass of broken pieces.

The atmosphere was dangerous and tense, everyone waiting on tenterhooks for the next horror Marik would unleash. "I switch Revival Jam to defense mode and end my turn." He said, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Ishizu drew slowly. She certainly didn't feel like she was winning, but she knew that a few more well-placed moves would grant her victory. "I activate **Mystical Space Typhoon** to destroy your Jam Breeding Machine! From there, I end my turn."

Marik wasted no time in preparing his next move. "First, I change Revival Jam back to attack mode. Now, I summon **Drillago (1600/1000)**!" From the ground came a humanoid machine made almost entirely of sharp, spinning drills. Next, I attack your Mudora with my Helpoemer!" Once more, that freezing aura came from the zombie.

"Why? They both have the same attack points!" Tristan yelled. "It's so he can attack her directly with his other monsters…" Mai corrected.

The Egyptian warrior shriveled into a gray, decaying husk, as did the Helpoemer. "Now, my Revival Jam and Drillago will attack you directly!" Marik thrust his hand forward as his terrible monsters rushed Ishizu.

Even though nothing happened to her real body, Ishizu felt the pain of being impaled through the stomach by Drillago and being enveloped by Revival Jam's entropy. She gasped and screamed as her life points dropped. **(Marik 2400/Ishizu 2400)**

"Aw, what happened to that advantage of yours? Hahaha!" Marik laughed. Ishizu dropped to one knee, clutching her side and suddenly feeling very nauseous.

Yugi's forehead glowed with the golden Eye of Wdjat. He knew that he had to help Ishizu somehow, for he could not stand by while she was in pain. Using the dark powers of his Millennium Puzzle, Yugi entered her mindscape, speaking to her telepathically.

He projected himself into a shadowy space, only illuminated by varying shades of dark green on black. His presence created a piercing ray of light that intensely shone upon the dazed Ishizu and the annoyed Marik. No one else could see them in this moment, avatars of three Millennium Items.

"What is that light? Is that you, my pharaoh?" Ishizu asked weakly as she covered her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"That is what I would like to know." Marik snarled. Yugi paid him no mind, instead speaking directly to Ishizu.

"I know how hard this must be for you, having to fight someone who looks so much like your brother. But I assure you, this pain is not real. All of this will go away once you have achieved victory. I know you can do this, The fate of the world is in your hands, Ishizu!" He yelled ferociously.

"I feel so small…I can sense my energy slowly evaporating…" She mumbled.

Yugi frowned. "If you believe you cannot win, then you're probably right." He strode over to her kneeling frame and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "It's going to take everything you have to win. He's not going to give an inch, so neither can you. He's enjoys seeing others in pain; do not give him the satisfaction." Yugi did not know what else to say. He knew that he did not have to be gentle with her; she was a warrior who had made it into the finals. He just needed to put her on the right path.

She slowly stood, a new determination in her eyes. "I won't let you down, my pharaoh."

"You could never let me down. Do this for yourself; do it for your family." Yugi said solemnly.

Marik started laughing again. "I grow weary of hearing these ridiculous speeches from you, Pharoah. I look forward to shutting that mouth of yours soon."

Yugi chuckled softly. "You won't get the chance, Marik. Ishizu will defeat you here and now.

"We shall see." Was the villain's last words before their spirits returned to the corporeal realm. Their exchange seemingly took 20 minutes, but only a few seconds had passed in the real world. Still, the change in Ishizu's countenance was undeniable.

"Come on, demon! Let's fight!" Ishizu declared fiercely, a sharp contrast from her normally serene personality. "I summon **Zolga (1700/1200)** in attack mode!" From the shadows came a floating purple-cloaked marionette. Its red eyes glowed dangerously.

Wordlessly, the doll attacked Marik's Drillago, enshrouding the machine monster in a strange void-like attack. Marik felt another stinging sensation as he took damage. **(Marik 2300/Ishizu 2400)**

This time, the fiendish tombkeeper looked distinctly unamused. Perspiration gathered in droplets on his forehead, and his posture was noticeably shaky. In a seemingly affable tone, he said, "Very well, then. I must admit, I never expected this game to be so…even."

Suddenly, his voice rose to a demonic fever pitch. "Scum! I've had enough of your petty resistance! I'm going to finish you off now!"

The spectators flinched, many of them openly trembling. None of them knew that things would get this bad, that Marik would be this unhinged. Even Kaiba gulped as he fought to keep a rising sense of trepidation down.

"I equip my Revival Jam with the **Black Pendant** spell!" Despite Revival Jam being a constantly shifting mass of blue slime, it was still able to wear the Black Pendant. It was an ornate bangle, a pitch black crystal hung around a gold chain. It emitted a cold aura that was fitting of their shadowy surroundings.

"This increases my monster's attack points by 500, totaling 2000! Now, attack her Zolga now!" Marik shrieked.

"Activate face-down trap, **Mirror Force**!" Ishizu had used every duelist's simultaneously favorite and least favorite card. Marik's seemingly indestructible Revival Jam was shattered into a million pieces by the trap.

"Wow, she's really making this comeback!" Mai commended. "Indeed. If Ishizu draws a monster next turn, she wins." Yugi nodded, smiling.

"You may have destroyed my Revival Jam, but with it you have destroyed my Black Pendant. When it is destroyed, my Black Pendant inflicts 500 points of damage upon my opponent!" Marik cackled. Ishizu suddenly felt deathly chills that froze her very bones. She was nearing her limits now; she would need to finish the duel quickly, or else she would be the first to fall. **(Marik 2300/Ishizu 1900)**

"I set one card face-down and end my turn. What's the matter, sister? Out of breath already?" Marik jeered. It was disturbing how he seemed so at home in the freezing darkness.

Ishizu's breathing was hitched as she drew. "Zolga…" She had to pause her command to regain her breath, a process that too nearly thirty seconds. "Zolga, attack him directly."

The marionette fired two thin red lasers from its eye sockets, the beams racing desperately towards Marik. He smirked, crossing his arms. "I activate my **Negate Attack** trap. As the name implies, your battle phase is immediately ended. Bad luck, sister."

Everyone let out a breath they did not know they were holding in. Ishizu put her hands on her knees; she felt like a fish trying to swim upstream. "I place a face-down card an end my turn…" She conceded.

Marik drew, and an exultant, horrifying expression gleaned across his features. "Haha! I must admit, sister, you've pushed me quite far. I never imagined I would have to summon my Egyptian God against the likes of you!"

"Impossible! Ra's already been sent to the graveyard! Besides, spells and traps don't work on Egyptian Gods, right bro?" Mokuba questioned frantically. "They do, Mokuba. But only for one turn. One turn will be all that he needs." Kaiba was fearful and excited in equal measure.

"No way…" Yugi murmured in shock. "I activate **Monster Reborn**!" A red cross materialized behind Marik as a ferocious wind whipped up behind him. From the heavens, golden light poured down, illuminating the long night.

"At last, I'm going to see the third Egyptian God in action!" Kaiba said, feasting his eyes on the holographic display.

From the sky came a golden orb, blinding in its brightness. It was mechanical in an otherworldly way, shifting and squirming in ways a machine shouldn't.

"Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry! Transform thyself from orb of light, and bring me victory in this fight! Come forth, **Winged Dragon of Ra (0/0)!** "

The sphere turned and transformed from a ball into a strange mechanical leviathan, a fusion between dragon and phoenix. It let out a battle cry truly befitting a god, and Ishizu could only stare, dumbstruck.

"What is everyone so scared of? That thing looks impressive, but it's got no attack or defense points!" Mai was one of the few who were able to keep her cool, even as the temperature raised 30 degrees and the mighty dragon roared.

"You don't understand…it is said to be the strongest card in existence, the powerful creature that rules over all beings in this world. Even Obelisk and Slifer pale in comparison…to this." Yugi said, encaptured.

"Ra normally gains the attack points of the monsters sacrificed for its summon, so its attack points are zero now. I assure you, that should be the least of your concerns. Prepare to feel a force like no other!"

Ra was suddenly engulfed in hellfire, intense orange-yellow flames that licked the sides of the blimp. "By paying 1000 life points, I can activate Ra's most powerful ability; the Phoenix transformation! When Ra uses this attack, every monster on your side of the field is destroyed, and you burn with them!" Marik shouted, beguiled by his own power. **(Marik 1300/Ishizu 1900)**

Ishizu's eyes had dulled; she knew it was over. Slowly, she turned to face Yugi. "My pharaoh…you must succeed where I have failed. Please…please save my brother from this darkness. This is my last request."

"What are you talking about!? Get out of there!" Joey roared, moving to step in. Even Roland knew what was about to happen, having taken cover some time ago. Ishizu gave the blond-haired man a sad smile before looking at her deck.

"The game must be seen to completion."

Ra swooped down, incinerating Zolga within seconds. A pillar of flame descended upon Ishizu, who shrieked in sheer agony as the fire engulfed her. She was not burnt, but it certainly felt that way, thanks to the rules of the game.

Marik's move wasn't even good from a strategic standpoint. He had a monster in his hand capable of beating Zolga, but he chose to revive Ra merely to cause Ishizu as much pain as possible. He succeeded; there are not many things in this world more painful than getting burned alive.

"Enough! I think my dear sister is quite well-done at this point." Marik commanded after 45 seconds. Ra faithfully returned to its master's die before disappearing, leaving only white ash rising to the sky.

Ishizu collapsed, and it was only a moment before Yugi, Joey, and Tristan ran to her side. The game had been dramatically decided.

"What? Doesn't she get a ten-count? I haven't finished my fun yet!" Marik laughed, wheezing in exertion from the fierce battle.

Yugi's pupils shrank to the size of pinheads. In a second, he left Ishizu to the care of the emergency medical team that had been waiting on standby and walked up to Marik. Everyone had hurried to the elevator, partially out of fear and partially out of concern for Ishizu. Only Yugi, Kaiba, and Marik remained.

"Does it make you mad, pharaoh?" Marik asked mockingly. Yugi's fists clenching and his eyes narrowing were answers enough. "Why don't you just kill me then?" The tombkeeper postulated, drawing the knife hidden in the Millennium Rod.

Yugi pursed his lips, practically shaking with rage. "You know what I think?" Marik laughed as he twirled the knife like a toy. "I think you rather enjoy this, as I do. The King of Games would never cheat, would he? No, no matter how many people die, the rules must be observed-"

Yugi lunged, showing surprising speed. The pharaoh grabbed Marik's wrist and twisted, causing the villain to drop the Millennium Rod. A punch to the face sent Marik to the ground, the Pharoah holding his elbow to his enemy's throat.

"You're lucky the others aren't here, scum…I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!" The Pharoah roared, even as Yugi's voice pleaded him to stop. Kaiba's eyes flickered between the Pharaoh and Marik, the billionaire taking no steps to physically interfere.

"Yugi. If you attack another finalist, you will be disqualified from my tournament. What happened to Bakura, Odion, and Ishizu was part of the game, but I cannot allow you to attack him right now. Save it for the ring." Kaiba finally said, his clear, cold voice slicing through the emotionally torqued atmosphere.

"Really? You would let this man walk free?" Yugi growled, tightening his chokehold on Marik.

Kaiba was about to reply, but was interrupted by the soft sound of elevator doors opening. From the lift came Tea, of all people. Her posture was stiff and her normally vibrant blue eyes were strangely dull and flat.

"Tea? What are you doing here? Leave, now!" Yugi protested.

"Tea's not home right now, pharaoh." Marik's voice echoed from the girl's body. Kaiba, Yugi, and Yami Marik flinched at the sound.

"I have used my hold over your friend's mind to maintain some level of consciousness. It was all I could do after he took over." Marik said, pointing at his darker half's frame. "For this, I apologize. Tea had no part in this."

"He is like a parasite, wouldn't you agree, pharaoh?" Yami Marik chimed in, receiving additional pressure on his throat for his trouble.

"As If I would help you after how you've manipulated us!" Yugi roared, his anger reaching untold heights.

"I want him finished as much as you do. He has stolen my body, and he has harmed my sister. For this, he shall go back to the hell he came from!" Marik declared.

Yugi nodded, sensing that these words were true. "I see. Very well then. After I defeat your brother, I will allow you your body back. You have my trust, for now at least. The only way I can make things right is if I defeat your darker half in a duel." Yugi said, calming himself down slightly. He released his hold on Yami Marik, who scrambled back to catch his breath.

"Right." Marik said diplomatically. "Well, I think that's enough drama for a night, boys. Go back to your quarters immediately. We will arrive at the next stage of the tournament in nine hours. There will be armed security in the hallways, and if anyone is caught roaming about, they will face disqualification. Am I clear?" Kaiba ordered, being rational as usual.

Yugi and Marik nodded. Yugi suddenly felt a heavy weight on his body. He felt very tired, and a dismissal to his master bedroom sounded just like what the doctor ordered. Yami Marik smirked at Kaiba's authoritarian stance. He would play by the rules for now, if only for a fleeting amusement.

"A good night's sleep sounds wonderful. Have a nice evening, boys!" Yami Marik cackled before entering the lift. As the doors closed, he stared at the three remaining duelists.

The wind died down and the night had seemingly become calmer with the villain's departure. "I will release Tea now, pharaoh. I apologize again. Once you defeat him, I promise not to take vengeance upon you or your friends anymore." Marik said remorsefully.

Yugi didn't know what to say; less than two hours ago this man had been trying to kill him, and now he was trying to apologize. Still, he would take allies he could get.

"Very well, Marik." Was all he needed to say. The man in Tea's body turned around silently and departed the arena as well, leaving only Yugi and Kaiba. The two rivals did not look at each other, each staring off into opposite portions of the starry sky. They had been through a lot together, and they were content with a silent understanding.

After a few minutes, Yugi spoke. "Thank you for stopping me back there. I don't know what came over me…I wasn't myself."

Kaiba made a noncommittal gesture with his shoulders. "I've been there, Yugi." He muttered.

"Hmm? What was that?" Yugi asked. He smirked slightly; he had heard what Kaiba said the first time, but he couldn't quite believe it.

"Never you mind. The only reason I stopped you was because I didn't want you disqualified from the tournament before we have our rematch, that's all." Kaiba said haughtily.

Yugi's smile widened. He turned towards the elevator. "Ah, that's what I thought you said. Have a good night, Kaiba."

"Don't tell me what to do." The CEO blustered.

 **A/N**

 **Greetings, and thank you for reading he fourth chapter of Luck of the Draw!**

 **I went for a dramatic/horror theme this chapter, as befitting of Halloween. I hope you guys liked it! Strangely enough, it seems like even though the lottery changed, the same four finalists made it to the semi-finals. Perhaps it is fate? I dunno haha. The timeframe for the next chapter is between three weeks and three years. I believe that's a reasonable deadline. Anyways, have anise Halloween dudes, and leave a review if it pleases you.**


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